Event DHAN CURE celebrates World Water Day 2010 17 Event National Conference on Sustainable SHGs 10 Recognition National Award for DHAN Foundation 15 Matters Monthly Development update from DHAN Collective Development March 2010 Watershed Schemes for Enhancing Rainfed Farming Livelihoods
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development mar 2010 - DHAN Foundationdhan.org/development-matters/pdf/2010/Dev_mat_mar2010.pdfassociates. Exposure visit to BAIF - Tiptur, DHAN Foundation - Punganoor, AME - Trichy
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EventDHAN CURE celebrates World Water Day 2010
17
EventNational Conference on Sustainable SHGs 10
RecognitionNational Award for DHAN Foundation 15
MattersMonthly Development update from DHAN Collective
Development March 2010
Watershed Schemes for Enhancing Rainfed Farming Livelihoods
MattersMonthly Development update from DHAN Collective
This March issue of Development Matters features on Watershed Schemes for Enhancing Rainfed Farming Livelihoods. Narendran narrates the details of two-day National Conference on Sustainable SHGs. K. P. Bharathi writes about the national Award for DHAN Foundation under best NGO category for promoting tourism in India. He also shares the excitement of excavating few sculptures during Heritage Walk. BarathSibi gives a note of World Water Day 2010 celebration by DHAN CURE by organizing two events. K. Muthaiah and K. Paulchamy of Health team in Kalanjiam Foundation elucidate their participation in Red Ribbon Express train exhibition. N. Venkatesan details the Vayalagam Movement Day 2010 celebration in various DV(T)F regions. Selvakumaran writes about the Rainfed situation prevailing in Gudiatham and how introduction of Azolla helps farmers to cope up with the livestock feeding. Susanta Kumar Sadangi delights in sharing his experience of facilitating community participation towards development in Koraput.
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1. Watershed Schemes for Enhancing Rainfed Farming Livelihoods 1
2. National Conference on Sustainable SHGs 10
3. National Award for DHAN Foundation: BEST NGO Promoting Tourism in India 15
4. Identification of rare sculptures in Thiruvedagam village – an outcome of Heritage Walk 16
5. DHAN CURE celebrates World Water Day 2010 with two events 17
6. Red Ribbon Express train Exhibition 19
7. Vayalagam Movement Day 2010 celebrations 21
8. Azolla cultivation makes cattle rearing viable in rainfed situation 23
9. Together we can! 25
With production of irrigated agriculture reaching a plateau and ground water resources declining very fast, future lies with development of rainfed agriculture. The food security of the nation will depend on enhancing rainfed farming in the long run.
1
Feature
*Ms. P. Bharathi, Project Executive, Perayur, Tirumangalam and Mr. B. Chandra Guptha, Project Executive, Natrampalli,
Rainfed Farming Development Programme, DHAN Foundation.
Watershed Schemes for Enhancing Rainfed
Farming LivelihoodsP. Bharathi and B. Chandra Guptha*
Background
Rainfed agriculture plays an important role in
India in terms of economic contribution,
biodiversity and nutrition. It accounts for 58.3% (82.75
m.ha) of net sown area contributing to the production
of 77 percent of oilseeds, 66 percent of cotton and 50
percent of cereals. Further rainfed areas support 50
percent of total rural work force and 60 percent of
cattle heads at the national level. In spite of its
importance, rainfed farming is on the decline over the
years. Large scale increase in fallow lands, loss of
livelihoods and migration were the changes observed
in rainfed areas in the last two decades. These changes
substantiates that rainfed agriculture is losing its viability.
This is due to various reasons like vagaries of rainfall,
inadequate policy and research, inadequate investments
and financial support, and lack of effective risk
management. With irrigated agriculture reaching a
plateau and ground water resources declining very fast,
future lies with development of rainfed agriculture. The
food security of the nation depend on enhancing rainfed
farming in the long run. This is important as food prices
are foreseen to go up at the global level. Further rainfed
areas in our country support poorest of the poor and
are home to many poor and ethnic minorities. This
implies that rainfed farming development would have
an immediate impact on poverty alleviation.
The government of India accords high importance
to holistic and sustainable development of rainfed areas
and has been making huge investments in watershed
projects. Restructured NWDPRA is one such project.
Initiated in 2002 - 03 the ‘Restructured NWDPRA’ and
ended by March, 2009. In Tamil Nadu, DHAN
Foundation is one of the project implementing agencies
(PIA) for restructured NWDPRA. The rainfed farming
development programme (RFDP) of DHAN Foundation
was initiated in the year 2002, with a vision of "Making
rainfed farming a viable livelihood". RFDP of DHAN
Foundation has been implementing the restructured
NWDPRA at Nattarampalli block,
Vellore district and Tirumangalam
block, Madurai District. This article
describes the impact of RFDP and
restructured NWDPRA in these two
areas. This is impact studies taken up
in these two areas. It explains the
agriculture scenario in the two areas,
their development needs, work done,
its impact and, principles and practices
that have led to the same. Further, it
also covers the lessons and
recommendations emerging from the
impact studies for improving
upcoming watershed schemes and for
the voluntary organisations working
for development of rainfed areas.
2
Nattarampalli experience
Agriculture scenario at Nattarampalli
Nattarampalli, a backward block is located in the
south western part of Vellore district. It is predominantly
a rainfed pocket with undulating topography and falls
in both Upper Palar and Pambar macro watersheds. A
red soil area with varying soil depth, it has poor lands
affected due to erosion. Small and marginal farmers
account for 90 percent of the population with
agriculture being the main livelihood. Livestock is the
supplementary livelihood besides beedi rolling and
agarbathi making. Paddy, vegetables and finger millet
are the major irrigated crops contributing to less than
30 percent of the area. Groundnut, redgram, horsegram,
cotton, fodder sorghum, finger millet and garden beans
are the major rainfed crops. This block has experienced
drought and deficit rainfall phenomenon frequently. Due
to vagaries of monsoon the locality has experienced
crop failure. Due to lands with steep slopes and
decreasing soil fertility the farms show poor
productivity. Livestock of the area usually received
minimal preventive health care resulting in preventable
deaths. There was inadequate financial support for the
farmers as banks of the area to a large extent did not
support farming activities.
With this being the situation integrated development
of agriculture was necessary in Nattarampalli.
Development of small and marginal farmers' lands - by
improving the capability of their lands, improving the
soil fertility levels, supporting livestock population with
preventive health care, improving production and
productivity of the crops, financial support for farming,
crop risk management and capacity building of the
farmers in various aspects of rainfed farming was
necessary to make a positive dent in development of
the area. At the family level increase in income,
promotion of food security, asset building, better
utilization of family labour, increase in production and
productivity of farms were all necessary for livelihood
development.
Salient features of work done at Nattarampalli
To facilitate various development activities farmers
of the area were organized into Uzhavar Kuzhus,
watershed associations and a collective forum of
watershed associations. Currently there are 2737
members organized into 163 Uzhavar Kuzhus, 10
watershed associations and a coordination committee.
Uzhavar Kuzhus are building around SHG pattern with
savings and credit activity to maintain vibrancy and
continuity of interest in the groups. The Uzhavar Kuzhus
falling in a watershed are organized into a watershed
association.
Land development
Various land development activities have been taken
up with the focus of private land development, for
increasing the productivity of the member farms. The
following table depicts the extent of land development
activity.
Major activities taken upto March 2010
Organic matter build up
Organic matter content being a critical component
of soil fertility, various efforts have been taken for its
enhancement. With declining cattle population
application of organic matter to rainfed farm lands has
decreased drastically. Conscious preparation of organic
manure and its application becomes necessary. The
following activities have been taken up.
S.No Land Development activity Extent
1 Earthern bunding 13705 m
2 Stone bunding 12778 m
3 Land leveling 340 ac
4 Silt application 233 ac
5 Crescent bund 2634 trees
6 Conversion of wasteland into cultivable land
34.4 acres
7 Farm pond 28
Compost pit 324 farmers have done
compost pits
Aerobic
composting
112 farmers have done
aerobic composting
Liquid manure
Preparation
a new activi ty, 43 farmers
have taken up this activity
3
Crop production enhancement
Groundnut is the major rainfed crop in Nattarampalli.
Low seed rate, low plant population, average quality
seeds, no proper earthing up, no gypsum application
and, stem and root rot problems were identified based
on interaction with farmers. With the help of Tamil Nadu
Cooperative Farm (TANCOF), an experienced
agriculture extension wing of agriculture department,
technical training for following appropriate package of
practices was given. Details of the support given are
listed below:
• 15.6 tonnes of seeds supplied on cash basis in last
five years
• 708 bags of gypsum applied
• 170 farmers supplied with seed treatment chemicals
• 59 farmers have tried integrated nutrient spray
• Line sowing tried with 20 farmers
• 225 kg biofertilisers supplied
Other crop production enhancement activities:
• Introduction of GPU 28 variety of finger millet was
done and it was found suitable by the farmers of
the locality
• Zero budget natural farming system of agriculture
was introduced and is being piloted by 60 farmers
• Kitchen garden was undertaken by 1180 farmers
• 10 farmers have tried double digging, an intensive
system of kitchen gardening
Livestock development
• Totally 118 veterinary camps were conducted and
11696 sheep and goats were
dewormed. PPR vaccine was
applied to 312 sheep/goats and
1345 sheep/goats were
vaccinated against Anthrax and
ET.
• CO 3 slips were supplied in seven
watersheds and 136 azolla
production demonstration plots
were established as an effort to
develop fodder availability of the
area.
• Kuroiler, an improved variety of
back yard poultry was introduced
among 297 members as an effort
to increase productivity of backyard poultry. Totally
1322 birds were distributed.
• Loans have been distributed for purchase of plough
animal, sheep, goat and milch animal.
Risk management
Managing unavoidable risks is important in rainfed
farming. Members have been educated to take up various
insurance schemes in order to manage unforeseen risks.
Human insurance, cattle insurance and crop insurance
were taken up. In the case of crop insurance, mutual
crop income insurance was piloted at Nattarmpalli for
the first time in India in 2007 - 08. This is a special
product in which the farmers are indemnified based on
the actual losses, with loss assessment and price
monitoring done by older and wiser farmers.
Capacity building
High investment was made in capacity building of
various stakeholders including members, leaders and
associates. Exposure visit to BAIF - Tiptur, DHAN
Foundation - Punganoor, AME - Trichy were
conducted. Training on zero budget natural farming,
forming people institutions and mutual crop insurance
was also given.
Microfinance for rainfed farming
As on March 2009, the total savings in the location
was Rs.81,53,642, the total loan given was
Rs. 6,85,93,209 and loan outstanding was
Rs.1,28,52,990. This credit has supported many farming
activities.
4
Impact of Rainfed Farming
Development Programme and
Restructured NWDPRA at
Nattarampalli
Impact study at Kothur Middle
Watershed at Nattarmpalli was
taken up with the objectives of
documenting efforts and
investments made in the watershed
in a systematic manner, analysing
the impact of rainfed farming
development programme and
Restructured NWDPRA,
identifying policies and practices
that have led to significant impact
and identifying areas of
improvement to enhance
effectiveness in future.
Kothur middle watershed (KMW) is located at
southwest part of Nattarampalli block in Vellore district
of Tamil Nadu. It is well connected with Tirupattur
and Nattarampalli as Kuppam main road passes through
this watershed. AISLUS watershed code number of this
watershed is 4C2B3dab, d10a and d10b. The average
slope of this watershed is 5 percent. This watershed
falls in two major panchayats namely Kothur and
Kondakinthanapalli and it is situated near the Tamil
Nadu-Andhra Pradesh border. Total area of this
watershed is 800 ha. In the beginning of the restructured
NWDPRA project, out of 800 ha 127 ha was irrigated
arable land, 246 ha was rainfed arable land and 427 ha
was non-arable land. Total population of this watershed
as on 2003 was 2405 and cattle population was 632
(117 cows, 50 plough animals and 465 sheep and goats).
In KMW, 80 percent of the farmers were belonging to
marginal and small farmer category and most of them
have rainfed areas for cultivation. Majority of the 35-
60 age category of the population was involved in
agriculture. Other than agriculture, the people were also
involved in livestock rearing, vegetable sales, beedi
rolling and incense stick making.
The study showed that there has been significant
impact at individual family level and at village level and
it is expressed in the impact profile given below. This is
the case despite the impact of many activities like large
number of loans provided for various purposes,
veterinary camps conducted, supply of seeds and
seedlings were not considered.
Impact at farm and family level
• Change in land use in the study area, mostly from
rainfed to irrigated land was about thirty eight
percent of the total treated area
• Majority of the farmers who have cultivated the same
crop after land treatment in the study area has
experienced increase in productivity, irrespective of
the activity on groundnut, finger millet and paddy
cultivation
• There was significant increase in area under paddy
based cropping pattern
• About 61 percent of members have realized increase
in food security, with majority of them enjoying it
for three to six months
• Above 50% of contribution was mobilized from
members for private land development works. This
was a result of high levels of private investment as
a response to public investment.
• On an average each member family realised Rs.3550
income increased per year
• On an average, each member family had an increase
in asset value of Rs.52,647 with majority of the
members falling in the range of Rs. 50,000 to Rs.
1,00,000.
5
Impact at community and watershed level
• Implementation of all land development works by
the community itself has resulted in high level of
contribution and total elimination of contractual
system
• High levels of private investment as a result of public
investment on land development works has indirectly
created a fund for taking up works for large number
of members, during and after the project.
• Creation of member owned and member run
microfinance infrastructure with total savings of
Rs.838073 with total loan outstanding of
Rs.1341841. Till March 2010 members have availed
Rs.6263452 as credit through 3720 loans
• Coverage of around 30 percent of members through
life insurance, livestock insurance and mutual crop
income insurance products
• Significant impact of five out of six common works
taken up as entry point activity, like check dam,
common pond and farm road construction.
• High levels of women participation in terms of
membership, holding positions, attending capacity
building events and implementation of activities. As
a result their importance within the family has
increased and their ability to talk in a public forum
and to deal with outsiders has considerably improved
• Post project sustainability was ensured by building
up of significant levels of social and financial capital,
offering large number of activities on credit and cost
basis besides the grant based activities and practicing
of norms for cost coverage during the project
period.
• Include farm road and fund mobilisation
Tirumangalam Experience
Agriculture scenario at Tirumangalam
Tirumangalam location is situated in the
southwestern part of Madurai district and flanked by
Virudhunagar district in the south, Usilampatti and
Peraiyur taluks in the west and Madurai south taluk in
the north and east. It consists of three blocks namely
Tirumangalam, Kalligudi and part of T. Kallupatty.
Tirumangalam and Kalligudi block comes under
Tirumangalam taluk, whereas T. Kallupatti block comes
under Periyur taluk. The project area is predominantly
black soil based and the major soil series is Peelamedu.
The taluk receives on an average 881 mm rainfall, most
of them in North East monsoon (47 %) followed by
South West monsoon (32 %). The irrigation sources
are very limited and include tanks and wells. The rest
of the land is cultivated exclusively depending on
rainfall.
Rainfed farming is the main livelihood for large
number of families in Tirumangalam
location. The major rainfed
cropping patterns observed include,
1) Cotton based cropping pattern,
2) Pulses- Coriander/ Coriander +
Senna/ Senna + Bengalgram, 3)
Pulses-Gingelly/Sunflower, 4)
Gingelly + Redgram -Coriander, 5)
Varagu + Redgram, 6) Kuthirai vali
+ Sorghum/Pearl millet, 7) Maize-
Gingelly and 8) Fodder Sorghum.
The major features of these
cropping patterns are designed to
1) utilise rainfall from all the
seasons, 2) reduce risk, 3) balance
food and cash needs of the family
and 4) offer income continually in
the 6 - 8 months of crop stand. The
season gets started from July
6
onwards and sowing in July-
August is a must for good
crop stand. Pre-monsoon
sowing is practiced for
Cotton, Varagu and Kuthirai
vali. Broad casting and dry
sowing method is commonly
used in this area. Almost all
the farmers rear sheep and
goats as a supplementary
livelihood. Migration to
nearby places like Madurai and
other towns for livelihood is
very common.
The rainfed farmers faced
the problems of weeds which
converted cultivable land into
waste lands. Further due to
reduction in livestock population organic matter of soil
over the period got reduced and people are also unable
to take up timely farming activities. The area being a
plain, ground water recharge was poor, there was lack
of maintenance of water harvesting structures. Further
at the farm level there were many activities which needed
financial support which includes leasing of land, land
redemption, FYM application, sheep penning and
purchase of livestock. At the family level increase in
income, promotion of food security, asset building,
better utilization of family labour, increase in production
and productivity of farms, efficient ground water
recharge and waste land reclamation were all necessary
for livelihood development.
Salient features of work done at Tirumangalam
Community organisation
As on March 2010, 2329 rainfed farmers were
organised into 145 Uzhavar Kuzhus, two watershed
associations, five clusters and a coordination committee.
For implementing insurance activities mutual insurance
committees were organised.
Land development
Based on the need, land and water resources
development activities were taken up. They are farm
ponds construction (53), common pond renovation (11),
waste land development (155 ac), supply channel work
(7), check dams (7), field bund (3663 m), hand pump
(3) and deepening of drinking water well/mini water
tank (2).
Crop production enhancement
Based on the need generated from members the
following activities were implemented
• Introduction of new agricultural implements: new
agricultural implements were introduced to the
farmers to increase efficiency. Plough animal drawn
seed drill and animal drawn weeder, five duck foot
plough and two tyne iron plough were introduced.
• Introduction of maize crop
• Crop diversification: Agroforestry, and other dryland
horticultural crops were promoted as a part of crop
diversification measure.
• Introduction of new varieties suitable for rainfed
areas: New varieties like KC2, SVPR-2 in cotton,
ICP-87, APK-1 in redgram, Malaipatti Eeral black
gram and KM2 in green gram were introduced.
Organic matter build-up
Bio-fertilizer like Pseudomonas flourescens was
introduced to the farmers. For sheep penning and FYM
application different loan products were introduced. Due
7
to that large numbers of farmers have taken up these
activities. Vermicomposting was introduced and now
farmers are successfully practicing it. Enriched farm
yard manure was introduced among 300 farmers.
Livestock development
For purchasing livestock different loan products
were provided especially for plough animal purchase.
Veterinary camps were conducted which benefitted
more than 10,000 animals. Telecherry goat breed was
introduced. Kuroiler breed backyard poultry was
introduced. Support was given for the Varam method
of sheep/goat rearing.
Risk Management
To mitigate unavoidable risks various insurance
products were introduced in the location. Life insurance,
crop insurance and livestock insurance were takenup.
Microfinance
As on March 2010, total savings of Rs.70,38,926
has been mobilsed with total loan amounting
toRs.5,86,74,533 and loan outstanding was
Rs.1,21,42,032. These financial supports have helped
farming activities in various dimensions like land
redemption, land leasing, savium and varam method of
sheep and goats rearing.
Impact of rainfed farming development programme and
restructured NWDPRA at Tirumangalam
The impact study was conducted in Sengapadai
watershed at Tirumangalam taluk. The findings are -
• Significant increase in crop yield and cropping
intensity
• Better ownership of watershed activities in the
community
• Increase in ground water level from 28 feet to 12
feet in 600 domestic wells due to supply channel
creation, supply channel desilting and desilting of
two village ponds
• Significant increase in income
• Community empowerment and participation
• Women's empowerment and involvement in all
watershed decisions and activities (14 out of 19 EC
members were women in watershed association)
• Around 80% of the members have been enrolled
under life insurance; 50% under crop insurance.
• Brought 75 ac of wasteland under cultivation by
clearing Prosofis and Cyanodon infestation
• Significant impact of farm ponds was observed: for
first time in their lives few farmers cultivated paddy.
• Increase in land value from Rs.4000 to Rs.10000 -
Rs.20000 per ac
• Quality drinking water ensured in 120 families by
installation of biosand filters
• Around 65 groups have established well functioning
linkage with the local SBI bank branch with financial
outlay of Rs.54,66,000.
The policies and practices that have led to significant
impact
Effective and sustainable social structure- community
organisation model
• Integration of social resource management with
natural resource management
• Organising user groups around credit and thrift in
the shape of SHG among farmers, based on
solidarity and proximity of their landholding, to avail
all the advantages of SHG model, like participatory
democracy in the group (as there are only twenty
or less than twenty members), serving as platform
for savings and credit and access to various
Government schemes.
• Promotion of group centred approach, with user
groups (SHGs) acting as the foundation for
organising other groups and management bodies.
• Promotion of men groups: It is a general notion that
only women groups are effective, both as a group
and as a local bank. But experience shows that if
properly promoted, men groups are as effective as
women groups.
• Practicing norms for ensuring women participation
women: Specific norms for ensuring women
participation as group members and as decision
makers in Executive committee of WA were evolved
and practiced.
• Casino approach for offering services by WA and
8
PIA: Casino approach means that the members and
groups would be offered a group of services and
they would select a few among them based on their
needs. The assumption involved is that they know
their needs much better than EC and PIA of WA.
Further offering of various services was instrumental
in reaching majority of the members through one
service or other, thereby enhancing participation of
them.
• Offering of 'repeat services': Be it is land development
work, crop production enhancement or
microfinance, 'repeat services', were offered by the
WA and PIA. It has resulted in retaining of interest
of the members in the UK and WA, and kept them
alive and dynamic, as 'repeat loan' does in the case
of SHGs.
Different approach to natural resource management
• Focusing on development of private lands: Only if
the capability of these lands is improved, any dent
can be made on improving productivity of rainfed
farming and in reducing the risk of loosing the crop
due to vagaries of monsoon.
• Restricting the estimate amount of land development
work taken up by one member at a point in time by
fixing a maximum limit and giving preference to
members seeking first work over other members
seeking second and third work, to avoid
concentration of benefits to few families and to
ensure equity.
• L i v e l i h o o d - b a s e d
development of natural resources1
approach was chosen because this
was in alignment with the perspective
of the farmers and has the following
advantages: 1) accommodating wide
number of activities, mostly indigenous
and unconventional and 2) result in
livelihood enhancement, in terms of
increase in food security, income and
assets.
• Supporting context specific
activities, with preference for
indigenous activities, as they can only
work: The rainfed farming contexts are
so different from each other and there can be no
universal solutions in terms of activities. May be
the processes of identifying the issues and searching
for solutions can be universal. This means that
considerable investment is needed to evolve context
specific program components and activities through
continuous interaction with community, involving
trial and error. This again requires flexibility and
autonomy in program implementation.
• Integration of livestock development: Livestock
development was taken up as a major program
component, with the focus of filling the gaps in the
existing system and asset enhancement.
• Integration of microfinance for supporting rainfed
farming
• Integration of risk management: Understanding the
central role of risk management in rainfed farming